China

China is a country with a very early civilization and a long and rich history. The compass, gunpowder, the art of paper-making and block printing invented by the ancient Chinese have contributed immensely to the progress of mankind. The Great Wall, Grand Canal and other projects built by the Chinese people are regarded as engineering feats in the world.

For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under Mao Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China´s sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life. After 1978, his successors focused on market-oriented economic development. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded.

China is the third largest country in the world. It is the most populous country in the world with over 1.2 billion people.

China is a very diverse land including deserts, mountains and fertile river basins. Much of the western part mountainous and home to the Himalaya, Tian and Pamir ranges. Central China consists of mountainous regions. Rivers also play a major role in China, both for transportation and for irrigation. Much of the northern wheat fields and southern rice fields are irrigated from rivers.